String maker's wax

4d4m

Active member
Hi, I've been learning how to make strings. So far I've done a couple of flemish twist strings.

A couple of the videos I've watched mention special wax for stringmaking, stickier than the usual beeswax, to help with keeping the strands together during the twisting. I know the spools of B55 I've got seem to have treated with something tacky but either it isn't enough or it seems to wear off a bit during the process. Certainly trying the beeswax blocks I've got for regular string waxing I can see that's not ideal; too hard. I have some crossbow rail lube which might be wax based but that's too slippery ('cos it's a lube).

What do people use? I've so far drawn a blank for anything off the shelf in the UK. 3riversarchery and a couple of others in the US seem to stock some homemade looking stuff, and there's some recipes around.
 

Geophys2

Active member
AIUK Saviour
I've been making strings for years and have never used any additional wax. My usual complaint is that there is too much on the strands already. After the string is made and fitted to the bow and the required twists added, when I polish the string with a loop of strimmer line, it usually take wax off.
 

4d4m

Active member
Thanks. Maybe it’s me then, but when starting a string I appreciate the tackiness of the strands, especially when the ends start tapering out. When I get to the other loop it seems like the tackiness is less so it’s harder to keep them neat and together.

I don’t mind taking excess wax off after the string is on the bow though
 
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